


It Came from the Shadows

by accelgors



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Monster Reaper, On Both Sides Really - Freeform, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, When The Monster Next Door Has a Crush On You
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-06-26 10:00:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19765876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accelgors/pseuds/accelgors
Summary: In his 50s, the retired war veteran Jack Morrison is lonelier than he'd like to admit. He moves to a new town, and finds a creature in the woods that might be what he's been looking for all along.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A couple notes on the AU:
> 
> \- The Omnic Crisis still happened in this AU, and Jack served in it. He stayed in the military afterwards. Jack did not join SEP (you'll find out why if you read on!)  
> \- Takes place around canon time.  
> \- Overwatch (the organization) never existed, and Gabriel's life took a different path before he and Jack ever got the chance to meet.

Jack sat on the porch of the small house he owned, in the town he had moved into only a few days ago. Anderson. He had no idea who the town was named for, and he assumed most of the townspeople didn’t either. What he did know about it was that it was a small community, one where everybody knew each other by name. Jack had become a bit of a loner in his later years, and he wasn’t that interested in becoming any kind of presence in the community. So, he chose the house closest to the woods at the edge of town. Secluded enough that he could barely be seen to someone who wasn’t looking. Sounded kind of sad, now that he thought about it. Oh well.

He’d be happy to be known as Mr. Morrison, the older man who just wanted to be left alone.

The geography of the town allowed for gentle, rolling hills, and the weather was relatively stable year-round. Not incredibly hot in summer, nor freezing cold in winter. This made for the exact type of place he was looking for. A nice, calm place to retire. He sure as hell wasn't gonna be one of those lame old people that moved to Florida.

Besides the kids down the street (preteens were so obnoxious) and their parents, he didn't have many neighbors. It didn't make for great amounts of social contact, but did he really need that? People were always expecting so much of him, and he didn't have the energy to deal with it anymore. As far as he was concerned, anyone that needed him could come to him. He was too tired to spend his time trying to impress or seek out anyone else. Preferably, they would just stay away. He didn't want to live in complete solitary confinement; the company of others existing around him was still something he needed, but he didn't want a bunch of surface-level townie interactions either. Just the knowledge that people were there was enough for him, and he didn't want anything else. God, he really had become a crotchety old man.

He hadn’t explored the woods themselves much since he got here, and he resolved to do that today. Not that he was much of an outdoorsman, but he still had a bit of a curious spirit inside of him that hadn’t been taken out with age. He wanted to know his surroundings. Maybe that was his military-ingrained paranoia talking, as the setting around him used to be a life or death matter. Nowadays, it was just what decided how he’d spend his day.

Walking along the footpaths of the forest that became less well-tread the further he went from his home, he didn’t see much that he found that noteworthy. A hell of a lot of trees, obviously. He tried to identify what types they were, but gave up pretty quickly when he realized he knew even less about the outdoors than he thought. At least he knew which ones were pine trees. Autumn was in full swing, and many red and yellow leaves were scattered around the ground; the trees weren’t bare yet, but many of them were nearly half-stripped. If there was a large amount of wildlife in this forest, they didn’t seem willing to show themselves; he saw some squirrels in a few of the trees, two rabbits, and even a deer, but nothing that made too much of a spectacle. What felt most notable about the forest was the atmosphere - with only the sounds of a few birds chirping and the sunlight slightly dimmed by the trees blocking the sky, the sound and vision of the forest was subdued in a way that provided Jack with a great deal of relaxation. He had been doing a lot of reading lately, and this spot, a clearing near what he was fairly certain was the center of the forest, would be a perfect place to unwind.

Maybe some people would find it boring to be interested in activities so mundane, but after decades of war, Jack could use something a bit boring. He had been fighting since he was 18. Excuse him for wanting a bit of relaxation in his 50s. The light background noise and certain lack of crowds made this a good place to avoid triggers to his PTSD, which was not getting any better over time. Maybe he should've just taken his mother's advice and gone to therapy. Someday, he thought.

Jack checked his watch. 4:30pm. Probably a good idea to head back so he could be home before nightfall. Some kids back in town had said this forest was haunted, but that bullshit wasn’t what he worried about; he mostly just didn’t want to get lost.

As he made his way back, he didn’t notice one of the shadows behind him had been following him.

\--

 _They’re all dead. You couldn’t save her._ Voices echoed in Jack’s head as he searched the horizon. He was back in New Mexico, or whatever the hell was left of it. The entire landscape seemed barren, with the shells of only a few buildings left standing, and fires burning out of control among the rubble. The Omnics had attacked swiftly and without mercy, and what they left behind was hell on earth.

With his unit of faces and names he couldn’t hope to identify anymore, he searched the landscape for survivors. If there were any. How the hell would anyone live through this? At the very least, they could destroy any remaining Omnics in the area that might have escaped, because the military response to the attack was just as intense as the initial offense. Scrap metal was scattered everywhere. Some people might have gotten satisfaction from that, but Jack just found it even more depressing. Nothing got out of this alive, not even machines. What was vindicating about that?

Their search had been fruitless. A lot of bodies, but none alive. Having gone on autopilot at this point, tired and without hope, Jack opened the door to a large rec center that was, surprisingly, still mostly standing, and he nearly threw up.

Some people had been hiding there, and the Omnics had clearly found them. Their bodies laid in various positions throughout the room, some crumpled in unnatural positions, with their necks having been broken. Everything smelled like rotting flesh. In the middle, a single hand moved. Jack slowly approached it, eventually coming upon a little girl that was, miraculously, still alive. Her brown pigtails were disheveled, and she appeared too dazed to communicate, but she was very much alive. She turned towards him. As Jack reached for her, though, some metal moved towards her. A bastion unit. He tried to reach his hand out before it began shooting, but the bullets shredded the girl’s head in seconds. Blood flew everywhere and--

He shot up in his bed. Right. Just a dream. The same dream he’d had a thousand times now. One that never left him alone, no matter what he did. An idle thought crossed his mind, that he wished he could have someone in bed next to him that would hold him and comfort him after these nightmares, but he dismissed it as quickly as he could. Those were dangerous thoughts, and he hadn’t had the company of another man in decades now. It was probably too late for him. Maybe he could try one of those dating sites. He snorted at the thought.

Knowing he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, Jack left his room and walked downstairs. Looking out the window, he saw that the sun had just started to rise. 5:39am. God, back on the farm this would’ve been a normal time to wake up. Now it made him feel dead. Or maybe that was the sinking horror that still haunted him every time he had that same dream.

As he continued to stare through the window, he noticed how peaceful the vast expanse of the forest looked right now. It was just after dawn, meaning it might be a bit dangerous, because some creatures from the night may still be out. Not only that, but getting lost was still a threat. He resolved to try to map out the forest to navigate it more easily in the future, because it was a space he wanted to keep exploring. Right now, the cover of the trees and the dim background light appealed to him more than anything. Grabbing a portable light and a book (it was a romance novel, definitely _not_ chosen partially because of his thoughts after waking up), he decided to find the clearing he had been in the previous day.

On his way to it, he noticed something. While he was in the woods, letting himself be immersed in the calm atmosphere around him (were even the animals asleep?), some of the shadows were moving a bit strangely. Their motions didn’t match the light of the area. He thought nothing of it. Bunch of stupid fairy tales had gotten into his head. Tch. He was getting soft.

When he reached his clearing and opened his book, he felt himself slowly calming down, enough to not notice the shadows had mysteriously stopped moving right when he did.

\--

Some time passed. Days, maybe a couple weeks. Since he had no job (his retirement fund was quite sizeable, and he didn’t have any need to work for probably the rest of his life) and rarely made plans in town, days slipped by in a way that was difficult to keep track of. There was a certain peace in not being constantly paranoid over deadlines. Just being able to relax and laze around. He was sure he’d get tired of it eventually, but for now he just wanted to enjoy himself for a while.

Surprisingly enough, he managed to follow through with his plans, and had mapped out much of the forest. Maybe it was because he had nothing better to do, or maybe it was just a manifestation of how much of a workaholic he still was on the inside. Most of the twists and turns of the woods were recorded on his phone, and he could take it anywhere and use it as a makeshift GPS. After spending so much time there, he had realized there was definitely something a _bit_ off about the way the shadows in the forest moved.

He had stayed in the forest a bit longer than he intended, and night had already fallen. Not that he was particularly worried; with the navigation system he’d created, the chances that he’d get lost were pretty slim. Still, he was sure there were coyotes or wolves in this forest _somewhere_ , and he had no desire to encounter any of them.

However, the odd dark presence was even more noticeable at night. It took a different form than a typical shadow at this hour, instead existing as a vaguely darker spot near the ground. A sense of frustration built in him, as the curiosity he’d developed for whatever this was reached a boiling point. He had spent hours looking for any kind of information he could find on this presence, but only found some folk tales online that gave it a name: the Reaper. This name came from a rumor that it took children that wandered into the woods at night and stole their souls. Yeah, he was a bit skeptical of that one. Still, at least he had a name for it. And that night, it seemed to have gotten slightly bolder, because it was becoming much more obvious that it had been behind him the entire time he was walking home (and probably longer).

For the first time, he confronted the shadow that had been following him. He knew he wasn’t just crazy; there was something there, and he turned rapidly enough towards it that it wasn’t able to get away in time and avoid being seen. And he was right; the presence emerged from the trees, having hidden in a blind spot between several branches, and he was sure of it: this was the Reaper.

But he wasn’t afraid. Fear wasn’t something that was easy to strike in him, and he’d be damned if some ghoul would do so. Besides, no matter what the tales had said, it had never shown any intention to hurt him despite following him all this way.

As these thoughts were in his mind, he nearly jumped when the Reaper actually spoke. Its voice was surprisingly normal, despite being a bit distorted; a gravelly baritone that wouldn’t be out of place on an old soul singer. “Hello, Jack.” How the hell did it know his name?

“Are you the Reaper?” He asked; although he was a bit hesitant, this creature invoked a wonder in him that he didn’t know existed within himself. He needed to know who this presence was.

“Yes," it said, tone not particularly threatening. After pausing for a moment, it said, “This is usually the part where you scream and run away.”

He shrugged. “Why should I? You never hurt me.”

The shadow started to move around him, as if trying to get a closer look at him. Analyzing him. Eventually, it simply said, “Thanks. You might see me again.” With that mysterious statement, the darkness retreated into the trees, leaving Jack confused. Had he offended it, or made it happy? God, people were already unreadable enough for him. It was unfortunate to know that he had just as much trouble with things that weren’t even human. He realized that, whatever this creature was, it wasn’t a _thing_. It was conscious. Had some sort of personality. Like a person, just in a different form.

He needed to know more.

\--

The next few days were spent amping up his research, becoming tireless in his quest to find out more about this creature. He even asked some of the annoying neighborhood children about it, to hear their ‘creepy’ stories in more detail. Apparently, the Reaper stole the life of people it encountered in the woods, leaving them as empty husks to be eaten by the other creatures of the forest. It could form hands, a face, and other human appendages, but these were meant to deceive people into a false sense of security. That was what the legend said, anyway.

He didn’t think those tales were true, though; not just because they were absurd, but also because the creature he had met didn’t seem particularly cruel at all. It never showed him any malevolence. It was almost...shy. It was kind of charming, in the most bizarre way possible. He never felt threatened by it at any point. Maybe he was falling for a trap and would be the next husk victim. Oh well.

One night, he had stayed out in the woods longer than usual again. He swore he never did this on purpose, and was just engaged in his book and lost track of time, but he may have just wanted to talk to the Reaper again. It seemed to get a bit more brave at night. Now that they had communicated, it also seemed to be trying less to hide its presence; the shadows became much more obvious around him. Almost as if it were greeting him. Just like encountering someone you meet on your way to work every morning.

Instead, Jack found something else to be afraid of: a massive black bear. Lost in his train of thought, he had walked nearly right into it, and it didn’t look too happy to have him in his territory. Shit. He was still very strong (a career in the military would do that, especially since he kept himself active in retirement), but he would certainly not come out of a fight with a bear unscathed.

As the bear growled at him, though, he heard another growl come from behind. This one was much lower, almost...human? He looked behind him and saw the Reaper’s form becoming more solid behind him. The shadow manifested in a vaguely human form and grew thicker until it appeared possible to touch, and out of wonder, Jack did just that. It really was solid. It turned to him briefly, and Jack felt it place its...hand? (something that resembled one and that was in the place a hand would be, anyway) on his shoulder, in an oddly comforting gesture. The Reaper’s shadowy form doubled in height, easily over 3 meters tall, and it roared at the bear. The bear ran away; Jack had never seen an apex predator so terrified. But he wasn’t. Maybe he should be.

As the Reaper stood in front of him, Jack couldn’t do much more than stare. _Say something. Don’t let it leave._ “Uh...thanks.” _’Thanks’?! How awkward am I?_

The noise it made resembled laughter. Was that a sign of amusement in the same way it was for humans? “You’re welcome, Jack. Have a nice night. Well, I’m sure you’ll have a nicer night than that bear has.” If the creature had eyes, he felt like it would have winked at him.

With that, the Reaper faded into the darkness, and he was alone again.

There was a part of him that mourned not being able to talk for longer.

A few nights later, Jack was nearing sleep. Just as he felt himself starting to slip into what would probably be another sleep marred by nightmares, he heard a knock at his door. It was a violent pound, lacking any finesse whatsoever, which was plenty enough to startle him out of bed. Grumbling, he walked towards the door. Who the hell was bugging him at this time of night? If it was one of those brats on the other side of the street, their mothers would get a piece of his damn mind.

He nearly jumped when he opened the door and saw a dark shadow, manifesting a hand approximately the size of a human’s near the door; other than that, the shadow was barely visible against the inky blackness of the night. It was the Reaper.

Jack rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, still not feeling any fear towards this….monster? Ghost? Whatever you would call it. It had saved his life, no matter what it was. There was something calming about its presence, as he felt its intimidating presence kept away more potentially dangerous predators. More of a guardian than something to be feared.

“Hey," it said, sounding comically casual. Almost as if it was just a normal friend, visiting him during the day. He would chuckle at the absurdity of the situation if he wasn’t worried he might offend it. When Jack didn’t say anything, finding himself unable to find words that suited the moment, it said, “I thought you’d scream and call the police now, and I’d have to run away.”

“Why would I do that? You saved me.” He stared at the shadow, which was beginning to become more solid, forming into a smoky, dark mist.

The Reaper said nothing for a moment. Eventually, the hand-like shape it had manifested gave him a sheet of paper. He opened his hands to take it, intense curiosity overtaking any sense of caution he had. “This is for you,” it said, as if trying to make sure he didn’t think there was another purpose for it. With that, the mist slowly faded without saying another word, leaving Jack bewildered.

After the mist had completely faded, Jack, not sure of what else to do, closed the door and looked more closely at the paper. He realized quickly that it was a letter, words on the page surprisingly neat for being written by something he presumed had no hands.

_Dear Jack,_

_Hi. I knew I wouldn’t be able to tell you everything I wanted to say to your face, so I wrote it down here. I’ll try to be as honest as possible._

_I first encountered you weeks ago. I didn’t recognize you, so I decided to watch you without you knowing. Kind of awkward, I know._ Jack realized how ridiculous it was that this shadowy being would act towards him like a shy child that couldn’t speak to people at a new school. _I got more interested after you started spending more time in the forest. I found it so unusual to have someone do mundane activities like reading books in the middle of the woods. It was nice to have you around, though. It made me feel like I had some company._

_After we met face-to-face, I grew enamored with you. It meant so much to me that you weren’t scared of me. I would’ve been so disappointed if my new companion hated me like the rest of them. When I saw you were in danger, I had to save you. I thought of you like my friend, and never wanted anything to hurt you._

_I’ve been dreaming about you every night since then. Your kind blue eyes, the sound of your voice, your soft lips, the sweet smiles you made when something in your book made you happy (Have you been reading romance novels, Jack?)._ Damn. It caught me.

_Even though we could never be together the way I really want, we’ve barely spoken to each other, and you don’t even know my real name, I want to be your friend. I want you to know how special you are. I want to protect you from any danger. Please let me do that for you. If I can ask you one thing: don’t run away._

_Please don’t bring up anything I wrote in here to my face. I’m not brave enough to talk about these things. But I needed you to know, because I felt like I was going to burst watching you and holding it in._

_Sleep well._

Jack’s eyes widened.

The Eldritch monster next door had just sent him a love letter.

He knew he should find this ridiculous, or even threatening. But all he could think of was how these were the kindest words given to him in so many years. Not since Vincent had anyone sent him something so sweet, something that gave him such a warm feeling. He wasn’t sure if it would make sense to most people how flattered he was by a forest creature having a schoolkid crush on him, but this kind of caring was something special. No matter who or what he was receiving it from.

He wanted nothing more than to encounter the Reaper again soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack spent the entire next day in anticipation for meeting the Reaper again. He didn’t even have a nightmare the previous night; he only dreamed of watching a sunset with a guarding presence over him. Knowing that the shadow tended to be more confident and open during the night, he decided the best time to speak with it would be after the sky darkened.

He knew the whole thing was a bit bizarre, and he was probably not being very rational about it. Like it had acknowledged itself in the letter, he barely knew this creature. Not to mention that he knew next to nothing _about_ it either; how it was created, what it really is, why it’s here. Still, what he knew with certainty was that it had sincere positive feelings towards him, and that was enough for him to want to be around it more often.

Maybe that was what he had always wanted. 

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, night fell. Jack wandered into the forest, not sure of exactly where to find the Reaper. He called it that now, but something in the letter had been on his mind since he read it: it mentioned a _real name_. Whatever this being was, it had a name, and he didn’t want to call it by the insulting nickname given to it by the townspeople anymore. It deserved better than that.

As he continued to look around, he heard a voice he instantly recognized. That grunting, husky voice. His new friend was back. “You shouldn’t walk around here at night. There are scary things here, you know.” The Reaper gave a low chuckle. He swore that if it had a face, it would be wearing a smirk right now.

“Eh. I’ve seen worse.” Jack grinned at the shadow, which was already manifesting itself as that same dark mist. After he said that, he heard its laugh again. There was something charming about it, even if it sounded slightly off from what a human’s laugh should sound like. It wasn’t a human, he supposed. 

That reminded him. 

“So, I never asked.” Jack sat down on a log near the Reaper. “What’s your name?” He looked up, trying to make sure he wasn’t overstepping any boundaries here. 

“I’m called the Reap--”

“No,” Jack cut it off, “Your _real_ name. Not what people call you,” he insisted.

The Reaper paused, as if analyzing him again. Did he offend it? Eventually, it spoke. “...Gabriel. My name is Gabriel.”

Gabriel? That name was so….normal. “Sounds way nicer than ‘Reaper’.” Jack felt emboldened by the success of that interaction, and asked another question that had been burning in his mind. He knew he was taking a risk here, but he had to know more. His mind would never rest if he didn’t. “Were you a human before?”

Gabriel seemed to hesitate for a moment. The presence -- could he even use that word anymore? -- continued to become more solid until it formed a shadow in the shape of a human, with a body composed only of vague, jet-black shapes, the same that had protected him from the bear (except only about Jack’s height this time). In place of a normal face, there was something that looked like a mask. “Yeah. I was. Lived 19 years before...this. I think I was a pretty good-looking guy, actually. Gotta be at least 30 years ago now, maybe 40.”

Jack decided not to ask what had happened to change his body in such a way. Maybe someday, but for now, he just didn’t feel comfortable risking making him upset. It was probably traumatic for him to think about. In the same way Jack wouldn’t want anyone to force him to think of his own traumas, he wanted to extend that same courtesy to his new friend. But he felt like he had to give _some_ consolation. “Sorry. It must be really hard.” He looked down at his feet, which crunched some fallen leaves beside the log.

“That’s what she said.”

Did he hear that right? 

“Are you serious?” Jack nearly doubled over laughing. This strange creature had the sense of humor of a 14 year old. Gabriel was clearly proud of himself for that comment, too, because he heard him laughing along with Jack. 

As a lull in conversation developed, Jack realized that he should’ve brought something for them to do together. All of that preparation, and he hadn’t thought of the simplest thing. Oh well. No one said this would be the last time they met, right? In fact, he had a feeling this was only the first of many. 

“Don’t know what you want to do now. Might start reading.” He picked up the book he had brought, its title and cover disguised to avoid embarrassment. 

“I’ll just watch you. I read over your shoulder sometimes, you know.” Oh god. Jack tried not to turn red. A grown-ass man reading the text equivalent of soap operas? “Martha’s a real bitch, isn’t she?” He said, a hint of anger in his voice. Like he had been just as invested as Jack was.

“She is!” Jack exclaimed, his disdain for her reawakening. He felt vindicated that someone thought Martha was just as insufferable as he did, because all of the online reviews said she was so ‘relatable’. “Steven doesn’t deserve what she does to him.” 

He wasn’t entirely sure what he expected he would do in retirement, but spending a night talking to an Eldritch former man about romance novels was certainly not on that list.

The two of them read the book together (with Gabriel’s mist form making it easy to read over Jack’s shoulder, which was helped by the large text version Jack used; his vision was starting to slowly decrease as he got older, but he was too stubborn to start wearing glasses), making comments the entire way. Through this, Jack discovered that Gabriel wasn’t scary; he was actually hilarious. And although Gabriel had asked him not to bring up the sweet nothings he had sent Jack in his letter, and Jack obeyed, he suspected that Gabriel was trying to gauge his reaction throughout their time together. He tried to give off an air of understanding. 

This was the most fun he’d had in a while. Years, maybe.

Eventually, the sky began to become slightly lighter. It was nearly dawn. How long had they been here?

“You should go home and sleep,” Gabriel said. “I need to sleep, too.” So even as a forest creature, Gabriel still needed sleep. That was just another fact that brought Jack closer to completely understanding him, and he valued it. His curiosity about everything related to Gabriel still burned within him, but he tried not to ask too many questions for fear of being intrusive. Every tidbit of knowledge he got was something important.

Jack didn’t realize until that moment how tired he was. He really didn’t want to fall asleep in the middle of walking back to the woods, even though he trusted Gabriel to keep anything from hurting him while he was there. The fact that falling asleep while walking was even a threat reminded him of just how old he had gotten. Damn, sometimes he felt like he was in his 80s.

It was hard for him to tell Gabriel that he had stayed up so late just because he enjoyed talking to him, or that he didn’t want this to end yet. He cursed his own emotional awkwardness. Instead, he said, “Yeah. Wanna talk again tomorrow?”

Gabriel sounded excited when he said, “Yeah.” As Jack started to get up, he added, “There’s something I wanna show you before you go.” Jack stopped, curiosity reignited. Gabriel’s body started to shift again, until Jack realized: he made his face appear completely human, even though the rest of his body was still just those vague shapes.

And damn, Gabriel was not lying when he said he was attractive.

Light brown skin with honey-brown eyes to match. Shaved head, which made Jack wonder if he was ever also military. A somewhat thick, black beard. Not only did he look like a normal person, but like an attractive young man. Was this exactly what he looked like in the past? What happened to change him so drastically?

“I’d keep this all the time, but making this is exhausting for me. I can only do it for about 30 minutes, or I’ll collapse from exhaustion,” he said, sounding wistful. As if he may not have completely accepted what had happened to him yet. Jack would sure as hell have trouble dealing with it, too. “My other three forms aren’t too hard on me, but this one takes basically all of my strength. Already getting kinda tired, honestly.” 

Besides being attractive, it felt odd to actually see Gabriel’s facial expressions. But not in a bad way; in fact, he wished he could see that all the time, because his expressions were quite dynamic. It would reveal a lot more of Gabriel’s emotions, and perhaps make Jack a bit less awkward with his feelings. Oh, who he was kidding? There was nothing that would make him any less awkward with that.

“Jack?” He waved his hand in front of Jack’s face. “You’re staring.” At that moment, he saw that smug smirk that he imagined Gabriel had half the time. It was kind of nice to see, so different yet still so familiar, even if Jack would only be able to see it on rare occasions. Jack realized then that this was a special moment, one that he might not get again for a long time. “I know I’m hot, but you should control yourself.” Oh, that’s why he was so smug. 

Jack rolled his eyes. “Settle down, I’m not that thirsty.” (Yes he was). The two laughed.

At that moment, Gabriel frowned, eyes betraying a deep sorrow, and he turned his face back into the mask-like shape. He must have missed his old appearance so much. Jack’s stomach twisted with sympathy, but he was sure Gabriel didn’t want pity, so he didn’t express it. Instead, Jack patted him on the place where his shoulders would be if he were human, and got up to leave. He waved at Gabriel, whose hand-like appendage waved back.

After Jack got too far away to hear, Gabriel mumbled, “Goodnight, my dear.”

\--

Jack woke up the next morning feeling absolutely awful (physically, at least). His time on the farm made him completely unable to sleep too late, so he got less than three hours of sleep. When he was younger, he could get away with this without too much trouble, but as his age caught up with him, his body objected much more than it used to. Lack of sleep made him extremely grumpy, too. More than usual.

He had another nightmare last night, which didn’t help, but it was one of the ones he had that was a bit less intense. In this dream, he recalled the time his hand was crushed by the foot of a massive Omnic. The pain was almost tangible, even in the different environment of a dream; it was the worst pain he had been in, so the memory still haunted him. Still, it was much easier for him to withstand than some of the other nightmares, because he was the only one that was hurt in it. The only one he failed was himself. His actions didn’t lead to pain or death for those that were more defenseless than he was. 

He didn’t wake up from it with a scream, like he did with some of them, and didn’t even fully get up after it. Sure, he opened his eyes faster than what was natural, but it could’ve been worse. That logic was all he could use to get by. 

He thought about what he would do that day. Play video games, probably. Even in his older days, he still had a love for fighting games. There was something so satisfying about knocking that prick who stole his item off the stage. It helped him get out some of his anger, too. Probably the healthiest emotional decision he ever made on any frequent basis, he realized. 

He got on his game system and opened _Power Slammers 2_. A new DLC was coming out for the game today, and he wouldn’t admit to anyone else how excited he was about it. He waited with bated breath for it to download; once it had, he opened the game. A new character appeared on the character selection screen. Knowing he’d be absolutely shit at it the first time, and not wanting to lose when he was already in a bad mood, he picked his traditional fighter first and had the CPU play as the new character.

When the fight started, Jack took a closer look at the character. He was some kind of anthropomorphic crocodile that held something that made Jack freeze in place: A gun. Jack couldn’t handle seeing guns. They were an almost instant activation of his PTSD. He assured himself that he would be able to deal with it if it were just a video game, and continued the match.

Immediately, the character shot the gun at his fighter, and he cursed how realistic the graphics were. At that moment, he found himself back on the battlefield. Screams erupted around him; the Omnics had attacked a city that civilians were in to be transported to evacuation centers. Hordes of people were being murdered as Jack and his unit desperately tried to stop the Omnics, with very little success.

An Omnic that appeared to be some cross between the crocodile fighter and one of the typical Omnics he saw on the field aimed his weapon at a group of civilians. Jack took out his own gun and tried to shoot it, but he barely missed; afterwards, the Omnic opened fire, going down a line and killing people over and over. Jack heard cries of pain and the disgusting sound of splattering blood as he was frozen in place, unable to stop the chaos. Eventually, one of his unit came and blasted the Omnic’s head off, subduing it. _You failed. They died because of you. Monster._ “No, it was an accident…” Jack said aloud. 

As he looked down and saw a pile of dead bodies in front of him, Jack jolted and came back to reality. He realized that he was on the floor, sobbing. 

He couldn’t even enjoy a video game without this haunting him. Was this what his life would always be? Was he doomed to be attacked by his memories for the rest of his life, living out his days having flashbacks every day? This was no way to live. He was having trouble taking this anymore. Any more and he might snap, and who knew what he’d do then. His breath was coming out in gasps as he rocked back and forth.

He needed somebody. But who would even sympathize with him? So many people had just told him to get over it, or given him pity and said there was nothing they could do. Anyone who might be willing to help, he had isolated in his quest for solitude. None of the townspeople were his friend. He had nobody to call. He hadn’t received a text or call in weeks from anyone other than telemarketers.

But then he realized. Gabriel.

Would Gabriel even appear this early in the day? Night wouldn’t fall for hours, and he wasn’t sure he could last that long alone. 

But this was his only shot to not lose his mind. He decided to take it.

Jack walked into the woods, stumbling a bit. The effects of the flashback were still weighing on him, and he was breathing so hard that he was becoming a bit dizzy. He was still crying, too. God, this made him feel pathetic.

He didn’t have to wait long, however, as a shadow appeared near him after he’d only been in the forest for a few minutes. 

The shadow formed into the vague man shape that was becoming so familiar. Gabriel’s voice was filled with concern as he said, “Jack, are you alright? I heard you crying and--”

Without another word, Jack reached out and hugged him. He cried into Gabriel’s shoulder (or where it would be, at least). “I can’t do this anymore, Gabriel,” he said, trying to speak as coherently as possible through his own sobbing. “Every day I just see the people I let die, and it never fucking goes away! I can’t live like this.” 

His rectangular arm-like appendages reached around Jack’s back and returned the hug. Gabriel whispered in his ear, “You’re OK, Jack. You’re safe here. I promise.” As he rubbed Jack’s back, he said, “Could you tell me what’s wrong?”

Jack paused, taking in the hug for a few more moments, then let go and began to elaborate. “I was in the Omnic Crisis--” (Would Gabriel even know what that was, after being in isolation for so long?) “And I saw some horrible things. Every day I re-live them. Just try to fucking live my life, and I can’t stop seeing people dying. God, it’s been like this for more than 30 damn years, and it keeps getting worse.”

Gabriel then made a motion that took Jack by surprise -- he put his hand-like oval on top of Jack’s head and started slowly stroking his hair. It felt a bit odd, because he only had vague outlines of fingers, but the sentiment was comforting. He looked up at where Gabriel’s face would be. Jack was learning to read his emotions without the help of facial expressions; the speed of his movements, how his breathing changed, what he did with his ‘hands’, were all gestures that indicated how he felt. Right now, the slow and surprisingly delicate motion of his ‘hand’ indicated a sensitivity and caring that Jack so rarely received. God, he’d barely known Gabriel’s name for a day and he was already a better friend than anyone he’d had in a long-ass time. The last time he received this type of treatment was before Mom died.

“I can’t stop the flashbacks myself, but there are ways to get better. Have you tried any of them?” Gabriel asked, his fingers running gently over Jack’s cowlick. 

“No. Too scared. Feelings are hard for me,” Jack admitted, wiping tears out of his eyes. “Still, it’s nice to get some support. Thanks.” His breathing was starting to even out.

Gabriel nodded. “I’ll be here for you, always. Promise.” Jack smiled at him. “Know what it’s like to have no one on your side, and I don’t want you to feel like that.” Truth be told, Jack had felt like that for a while now, but he kept that to himself.

Jack pondered that statement for a moment. “When was the last time you had a friend, Gabriel?” _OK, if that doesn’t offend him it’ll be a fucking miracle. Idiot._

But if Gabriel was offended, he didn’t say so; instead, he chuckled a bit, but there wasn’t any amusement in it. “Long time. At least a decade now, maybe two. Some people are nicer than others, but they sure as hell don’t want to talk to me.” A moment passed before he said, “There was a little girl who used to hang out just outside the forest and talk to me. She was cute. Closest thing I had to a friend since my body got fucked up.” Jack made a mental note that Gabriel was much better with kids than he was. “She had to move away after a few months, and I haven’t had any company since. Can’t talk to animals, you know.” 

The sympathy Jack felt for Gabriel nearly made him start crying again. How could people be so awful to someone like him? Just because he looks different? _Oh shit. Say something comforting._ “I’ll be your friend.” Jack stared into the area of the mask where a face would be to emphasize his point. _Much better than my last sentence, at least._

“I’d like that.” Gabriel started to slowly rock back and forth as he held Jack from the back, a motion that sent a deep comfort through his body. It reminded him of childhood. He was a bit of crier as a kid (which he’d never admit to anyone), and even when the other kids laughed at him for it, his mother would rock him like this and softly sing to him. God, he missed her.

They stayed like that for a while, until Jack’s feeling of dread slowly faded. 

Maybe things weren’t all bad.

\--

Having Gabriel made Jack realize what he had forgotten about having a good friend: they made mundane things fun. Jack would do simple things over the course of the next few weeks, like bringing board games into the forest or listening to music, and he and Gabriel would have fun with them. On many days, they would just talk all night. Gabriel had so many interesting things to say; stories from the forest, things he had seen the townspeople do, jokes that would offend the majority of the world. More than that, though, Gabriel’s personality was what made time with him so enjoyable. He was funny, smart, kind (when he wanted to be), and understanding of all of Jack’s problems. As that autumn continued, the cool breezes and somewhat chilly nights left Jack feeling refreshed, feeling like a new beginning was upon him. This was always his favorite weather of the year.

There was something Gabriel had been doing that had been bothering him, though. Something related to his own well-being.

The two of them sat in their traditional clearing, both of them on the ground rather than on any raised surface. Gabriel had his human face on again, and Jack had to say something.

“Don’t you get tired with that form?” Jack asked, knowing the answer.

Gabriel looked away. “Yeah. But I know you like it, so I can deal. It’s fine.”

Jack frowned. There it was. “You don’t have to tire yourself out for me. I like you the way you are.” Jack smiled at him, trying to appear as welcoming as possible. He was treading as carefully as he could, because he knew this could result in Gabriel getting hurt very easily. He kneaded his hands on the leaves below him, feeling them crunch in his fingers. 

Gabriel was silent for a moment, looking at the ground. Oh God, did he hurt him? It was probably so hard for him-- “Guess I just want to impress you.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Jack insisted. “I like you for who you are inside, not outside.”

“Are you saying I’m ugly?” Gabriel said, gaze becoming playful. Although Jack was still worried that he had upset him, after a moment, Gabriel laughed. “I’m just messing with you. Thanks. I was getting tired as fuck.” With that, Gabriel’s face returned to the mask-like form. No matter how attractive his face was, keeping him from over-exerting himself was much more important than his appearance. And besides, the mask wasn’t really ugly. It had its own charm.

There was a short pause in conversation. Jack was unsure of what to say, so he just stared into the distance, and Gabriel appeared to be doing so as well (although without visible eyes, it was much harder to tell). Most of the leaves had fallen off the trees now; in contrast to the ground, which was colored by the fallen leaves and still-remaining flowers, the area above them appeared quite barren. The silence continued until Jack said, “You know, you’re not ugly. None of your forms are. At least, not to me.”

“So you _do_ only care about my looks. I’m hurt, Jack.” Gabriel feigned sadness. 

Jack rolled his eyes. “Can’t you be serious for five seconds?” Although he acted irritated, he couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

Jack wanted to know what happened to Gabriel. Whoever changed his body and made him feel this way, Jack wanted to make them pay. This time, Jack actually managed to get up the courage. He asked, “Gabriel, I need to know. What happened to you? How did your body change?” Jack was so afraid he was being too intrusive, and Gabriel would get upset and leave. If he ruined this, it would be something he’d regret for the rest of his life.

Gabriel took a deep breath. “I’ll tell you. It’s not a nice story.” As relieved as Jack felt that Gabriel didn’t just walk (shadow?) out on him, he still worried for what he was about to be told. Gabriel started, “They said it was ‘science’,” trying to make air quotes with his hands. It was a little hard to tell with the shape of them, but Jack got what he was going for.

Gabriel continued, “When I went into the military, they had a program. Said it would make you ‘super soldiers’. I was a dumbass kid and wanted to be cool, so I signed up.” Gabriel’s voice started to shake a bit, and he couldn’t tell if it was out of anger or sadness. Maybe both. “Gave us some kind of weird chemical shit. Didn’t work out well. Fucked up our bodies so badly that we started to turn into things like...well, me.” He sighed. “I wasn’t the only one. There were maybe 20 of us.” 

“Do the rest of them live in forests like this?” Jack asked, then realized that was a dumb question. He probably would’ve heard if they did.

He shook his head. “No. After what happened, they wanted to keep the experiments going. Assholes.” His hands balled into fists. “I was lucky. Turning into a shadow made it so I could get away. I took off the second I could. I have no idea what happened to the rest of them. Kept going as far as I could, then hid in this forest and ended up staying here.”

Jack felt anger rise throughout his entire body. “Where are they? I’ll kick their asses. I can do it.”

Gabriel gave a low chuckle, one that communicated more of a resigned bitterness than any kind of laughter. “Program disbanded a long time ago. Would’ve tried myself, but I didn’t want to be any more of a monster than I already am.” 

As Gabriel hung his head, Jack knew he had to give some kind of comforting motion. Just like Gabriel would do for him. So, he reached over and held Gabriel, who seemed to be taken by surprise, as he momentarily froze. After that moment, though, he leaned into his hold. Jack desperately wanted to say something, maybe something that would be even a bit comforting, but he couldn’t find the words. Instead, he just kept holding onto Gabriel, making sure he felt as secure as possible. 

_I’ll get justice for you someday. I promise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, i cranked this one out fast. i'm actually totally addicted to writing this story, lmao. thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

“Anything on your mind today?” Gabriel asked Jack as he trekked through the woods. The two of them had decided to go to a small pond. As far as Jack knew, they were the only two that knew about it, judging by how deep it was in the woods. It was becoming too cold outside to take any kind of dip in the water, with winter starting to come on, but just sitting by water provided Jack with a sense of peace. It reminded him of warm afternoons by the Jordan River back in Bloomington. Nostalgia had become a much more powerful force for Jack as he had gotten older. 

“What is this, therapy?” Jack laughed. Although he was eager to finish their journey, having not seen this pond since he initially mapped out the woods, walking with Gabriel had a lot of charm to it, too. The way his steps were a bit unnatural due to the difference in his ‘feet’ might make some people uncomfortable, but for Jack, the sound had become comforting. It was slightly louder than normal footsteps, but with a less sharp tone. Something he could fall asleep to.

Something actually was on his mind, though. Nothing too serious, but worth mentioning all the same. The level of openness they had developed with each other made Jack want to tell Gabriel just about everything that happened to him. He couldn’t hope to be as interesting as Gabriel was, but Gabriel always seemed invested in everything he said, no matter how boring. He supposed that he hadn’t experienced a boring, average life in decades. 

“All I did today was go to the library.” He had rented a copy of a mystery novel while he was there. A good one of these always got him invested. Unfortunately, this library experience was headache-inducing, because some of the annoying kids down the street were there. “Overheard some of those brats talking bad about you,” he said, frowning. “Going off on that bullshit about you killing people again. Don’t know where they get that from.” The way they viewed Gabriel just because he looked different always pissed him off.

Gabriel stopped in his tracks. Did their words hurt that much? Come to think of it, he did seem to get bothered every time Jack mentioned this. Eventually, he said something unexpected. “Jack, I’ve been hiding something from you. I can’t hold it in anymore.” Gabriel turned his head away. “I didn’t want to tell you because I was so happy someone like you actually cared about something like me.”

Jack’s curiosity hit him again, even though he could tell this topic bothered Gabriel more than he realized. “Don’t have to tell me if you don’t want.” He hoped that was comforting rather than dismissive.

“No. I need to.” Right as he said that, the two arrived at the pond. 

Undisturbed by manmade activity, the water here was much more clear than the Jordan River had been. It shone under the sunlight, the cloudless sky amplifying the blue color of the water. Even though the days were getting shorter and the light getting weaker, clear days still dominated. Maybe this place was starting to become home. Dammit, he was such a sap. Gabriel sat down next to the water, and patted beside him, directing Jack to sit.

Gabriel was silent for a while. Maybe this was more serious than he thought. Eventually, while looking away, Gabriel said, “Those rumors didn’t come from nowhere.” Gabriel turned his head towards Jack, seeming to be putting a lot of effort into doing so. “I was really pissed off after what happened. I think I had the right to be, right?” He chuckled a bit, but he heard more shame in it than amusement. “Those things they said were things I actually did. I attacked anyone who came near the woods. Killed some. Lost count. I stole their life force until there was nothing left. I stopped after a while, but I was already a local legend.” He hung his head. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want you to be scared of me. Now that you know what I really am, you can leave if you want.”

Jack wasn’t sure what to say. Gabriel, this creature that had extended such kindness towards him, killed people. Probably a lot of them. Did that scare him? Did he hate him now? ...No. He didn’t. He just needed to find a way to say that. _Emotional constipation, please go away just this once._ He put his hand on where Gabriel’s cheek would be; he seemed to understand the gesture, as he lifted his head towards Jack. “Gabriel, I told you. I don’t care about your past. What you were, how you looked, what you did. I care about who you are now. And what you are now is my friend.”

Gabriel didn’t say anything at first. His head didn’t move, either, so he assumed he was staring at Jack. Analyzing him again, maybe? Jack got his answer when Gabriel reached over and hugged him, tighter than any of the hugs he’d given before. Apparently the type of creature Gabriel was could cry, because he saw tears run down the vaguely eye-shaped parts of his face. Did he actually see out of those? Maybe he’d ask later. For now, Jack wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s back. 

“Thank you,” Gabriel choked out. “You’re the fucking best.” Jack smiled at him.

After a moment, they let each other go. Gabriel seemed to want to move on from the topic quickly, as he started to ask Jack about his book. The two continued conversations of this type while they sat by the pond. Jack skipped rocks on the water, reminding him of doing the same as a teenager; he wondered if he would look back on this moment with the same nostalgia decades from now. Watching some of the small fish close to the shore, Jack tried to identify them, but turned out to know just as much about fish as he did about trees. He had spent his whole life fighting, and never had the time to enjoy these simple things.

He was making memories right now. Better ones than he had before.

\--

Jack opened his door, having just come back from the woods. Gabriel was a bit distant earlier in the night, and Jack sensed he was still afraid Jack would reject him after his confession the previous day. And it was true that it had been on his mind all day. The kind forest creature he’d met had once been more of a demon. He didn’t bring it up again today, trying to give Gabriel a bit of time to process that he’d told someone, but realized now that it probably just made Gabriel feel more awkward and afraid of judgment. Dammit. Did he always make the wrong social decision in every circumstance?

But he didn’t judge Gabriel at all. He understood how angry he must have been. Being betrayed in such a way, and turned into something unrecognizable…he would never forgive those responsible, and it’d be hard for him to forgive humanity in general. And he wasn’t even a particularly vengeful person. More than that, though, he trusted Gabriel to never do it again. Jack could tell he wasn’t that person anymore. Even though he was clearly still sad and full of regret, he had never been aggressive towards Jack at all. Come to think of it, Jack had never seen him be particularly aggressive towards anyone else, either. 

And Jack wasn’t exactly free from past mistakes himself.

As Jack walked into his house, he started his nightly routine. He looked at the calendar while he was brushing his teeth -- oh yeah. Thursday. Meat Day. When Jack told Gabriel that he had a schedule to pleasure himself on Mondays and Thursdays specifically (his sex drive had gone down in his older age, so daily orgasms were…underwhelming, to say the least), that was what he suggested it be called. Maybe he compartmentalized things a bit too much.

Not having anything that had particularly sexually inspired him that day, he moved towards his computer and started looking for porn sites. Boring, boring, boring...damn it, why were all of the models in these things so conventionally attractive? Perfect abs, thin frame, yawn. Where was the variety?

Eventually, he found something decent enough. The man was relatively average, and it was just him jerking off, but Jack was wound up enough that it worked. After the video finished, he started to stroke his cock (he hated doing it during the video itself. Where was the imagination in that?), but his thoughts quickly went to the idea of familiar smoke moving behind him, and a shadowy figure holding onto him from behind. Gabriel.

Oh god, this was wrong. But it felt so good. There was no way he could stop himself. He increased his speed as he thought about Gabriel grabbing his cock and starting to feel it. A blush formed on his cheeks when he imagined Gabriel whispering sweet words in his ear as he stroked oh so delicately, telling him how sexy he is and giving him every praise he had detailed in the letter. God damn, he could imagine so clearly the soft yet solid feeling of Gabriel’s finger-like appendages as he started to jerk his dick with more force. He tried to emulate it with his own movements, but knew he would never compare to something that would put him in so much bliss.

He always loved the feeling of someone else stroking him instead of himself, and he bet that Gabriel would be so good at it. The only person that truly understood him would know exactly what he liked. 

“Gabriel…” He moaned aloud, imagining Gabriel’s warm embrace as he worked his free hand up Jack’s stomach and rubbed at his nipples. The feeling of Gabriel’s breath on his ears, his deep and powerful voice speaking to him about how beautiful he was...there was nothing that could ever be as intimate as that. 

As he increased his own speed, he pictured Gabriel doing the same, until he would whisper in Jack’s ear, “Come for me, baby.” That thought sent Jack over the edge, and thick streaks of white came out of his cock and spilled onto the floor. While Jack panted, bathing in the afterglow of his orgasm, he considered just how _creepy_ it was to fantasize about his friend when he lived so (tantalizingly) close. Almost as if he was watching. Thinking of that threatened to turn Jack on again. Fuck.

He wanted Gabriel. There was no doubting that anymore. And, if the letter was any indication, Gabriel wanted him as well (if he still felt that way; what if that was only a brief infatuation?) But no relationship with them would ever work; Jack was someone with so many issues and traumas, and Gabriel had just as many. He didn’t feel secure that they wouldn’t badly hurt each other, and if there was one thing he absolutely refused to do, it was lose his relationship with Gabriel. Gabriel was basically his only friend, and one he treasured more than anyone he had known in the military; was it really worth jeopardizing that for what amounted to an idle fantasy?

So he would wait it out. Hope the attraction would fade. And if not, just being with Gabriel in a positive way at all was much better than being without him. Or worse, having a negative opinion from him. 

Maybe he should’ve just let his sex drive die completely after all.

\--

“I still feel really guilty about it sometimes.” Gabriel said, staring into the horizon. They were at their usual clearing. At the beginning of the night, Jack felt a bit awkward after thinking of Gabriel so sexually last night, but that dissipated relatively quickly as he became engaged in their conversations again. 

Jack looked in the same direction that Gabriel did, trying to see if he was looking at anything in particular, but there didn’t seem to be anything there. Just barren trees without leaves; as winter came on, Jack saw fewer and fewer animals when they were outside. He assumed that many of them were hibernating or hiding in whatever homes they’d made. Even he felt a bit of a chill through the fabric of his sweater. Which was to be expected, considering he was going out at night, but he sure as hell wouldn’t miss quality time with Gabriel just because of a little cold. 

“I get why you do,” Jack started, trying to tread carefully to avoid making Gabriel feel worse. “But it’s all in the past. Long as you don’t do it anymore, that’s all you can do, right?” Jack considered making a joke about Gabriel turning him into some kind of husk, but decided against it for fear of upsetting him. Wow, he made the right decision with someone's emotions for once. 

Gabriel paused for a moment before saying, “Yeah. You’re right.” He slouched a bit on the chair he was sitting on (Jack now kept two chairs in their typical clearing, because his ass was starting to get sore from sitting on the ground all the time). “Probably been decades since I last did it, but it’s the kind of thing nobody forgets about.” 

Jack decided that if Gabriel could reveal a dark secret, he could, too. It might make him feel a bit more comfortable. “You know, people think Omnics are just machines with no feelings. But I don’t think that’s true.” Not wanting to look in Gabriel’s direction when he said this, Jack stared at the sky. “One time, during the Crisis, one of them begged for its life when it saw me. It was standing next to these two kids, and I thought it was going to hurt them. I shot it and destroyed it anyway, and then the kids told me it was their butler and it was protecting them. They were crying and calling me a monster. Still haunts me now.” He sighed. “Just makes me wonder if all those things I destroyed had feelings. Friends. People that cared about them. Maybe I wasn’t any better than they were. So I get it, more than you know.” Hopefully that was comforting rather than upsetting.

When he finished, he noticed that Gabriel was looking down at the ground. After a pause, he put his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Guess we’re both assholes, then.” He chuckled, and Jack laughed with him. 

Unfortunately, while telling Gabriel about that might have comforted him, it might also have been a mistake, as Jack discovered when he went to sleep that night.

He was on a barren version of Bloomington. The previously green farmland was in tatters, with trees uprooted or snapped and crops completely gone. Fires were burning in the distance, and the smell of smoke and the dust in the air threatened to choke him. What happened here? How did he get back? An Omnic stood in front of his mother. Why was she here?

Oh god. Was she going to get killed? Jack didn’t know why he felt so paranoid. The Crisis was over, right? Omnics weren’t killing people anymore, were they? Jack assured himself that it was fine. 

However, his body wasn’t listening to his mind, and it started to move towards the Omnic. How did he get a gun in his hand? Whatever reason the gun was there, his hand moved on its own, pointing his gun at the Omnic. He had to save his mother. 

“Jackie, no!” His mother shouted. He didn’t know why she wanted to protect the Omnic, but he decided that he trusted her judgment. Maybe it was a kind one. Maybe the Crisis really was over like he remembered, and no one was in any danger. But then why was Bloomington in shambles? Evidently, this thought process won out, because he opened fire, destroying the Omnic in seconds. 

His mother ran towards it and started to cry. “Monster!” She yelled, in a distorted voice. Suddenly, his old general was there. He grabbed Jack’s arm. With horror, he started to realize that his general was making him point his gun at his mother. He struggled as much as he could, but the general’s grip was completely unstoppable, and it felt like there was a weight on him the entire time. He could barely control his own movements, much less shake off this strong man. Jack saw his mother’s pleading eyes as the general grabbed his finger. No matter how much he struggled, his finger moved and pulled the trigger and--

“No!” Jack screamed, jumping out of bed. Just a dream. This was one of the worst nightmares he had ever had. He was shaking, tears running down his cheeks. _Monster!_ The distorted voice of his mother continued to play in his head.

Suddenly, he realized that smoke was in his room, and he wondered with horror momentarily if his dream of the fires had been real. Then he realized. The smoke was that familiar dark one.

Gabriel manifested himself in his solid form. “Jack!” He seemed to be in a panic. “Are you okay? I heard you scream and--” Before Gabriel could finish his sentence, Jack grabbed him and held onto him as tightly as possible, crying into his chest area. Although caught off-guard at first, Gabriel seemed to realize the situation, and he held Jack in a firm hug. “Shh. You have another nightmare?” Jack nodded, wanting to wipe his eyes, but also not wanting to let go. “It’s okay. Just a dream. You’re safe. Everything’s fine.” That deep voice of his could be so soothing, even if it was abnormal. The quiet tone was soft, like a lullaby. 

After what Jack felt was an embarrassingly long amount of time, he started to let go. 

“I hope you’ll be alright--” Gabriel started, and Jack realized that he might leave.

“Could you stay?” Jack asked, trying not to sound as needy as he felt. But he needed some kind of comfort right now, and he knew nobody would make him feel as secure as Gabriel. Luckily, there was a sofa in his room close to his bed, large enough for Gabriel to sleep on. Jack motioned towards it, hoping desperately that Gabriel would take the suggestion. He couldn’t be alone right now.

Gabriel nodded, and Jack knew he would be wearing a sweet smile if he had a human mouth. Without a normal face, Jack picked up on how Gabriel was feeling through subtle gestures, and he had started to become much better at it. “Sure.” He got closer to Jack’s ear. “I’ll keep you safe. Promise,” he whispered. The level of relief he felt was intense, to say the least. Nothing was more comforting than knowing that Gabriel would still be here when he fell asleep.

Jack got up and retrieved an extra blanket and pillow from his closet, setting them down on the couch. Satisfied, he returned to bed, and hoped that he could get back to sleep. His old ass was not capable of functioning on such a small amount of sleep. God, he’d feel like complete garbage if he stayed up now. Trying to sleep again was the only option. Besides, he already felt calmer with Gabriel here. Maybe that would stave off the nightmares, just for tonight.

“Night, Gabriel.” Jack smiled at him, and put his head on the pillow. 

After a few moments, Gabriel got up and walked towards the bed, and Jack realized he probably thought Jack was already asleep. Indeed, he was getting there, and was too close to dozing off to move or acknowledge Gabriel moving towards him.

Gabriel tucked him in and stroked his hair once. “Goodnight, angel.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part of this is basically borderline tentacle porn and i am sorry

For the next two weeks, besides a concerned Gabriel asking that morning if he was alright, neither of them brought up what had happened that night. Jack didn’t particularly want to talk about it. He didn’t regret doing it, and waking up with Gabriel in the same room put a smile on his face for reasons he’d rather not address, but it wounded his pride to have to be coddled like that. Damn PTSD.

One day, though, he found a piece of paper at his door. It was another letter, and Jack realized it was from Gabriel again. Considering the last one, Jack assumed there would be some serious feelings in this letter, and he mentally prepared himself. What if this is Gabriel telling him that he knew how he felt? Even the thought of that was terrifying. If he ever did tell Gabriel (which he was sure he wouldn’t), he wanted to do it on his own terms.

He hesitated for a moment before reading the paper.

_My sweet Jack,_

_I haven’t been sleeping since our night together. I can’t hold it back anymore. But I still couldn’t tell you face-to-face, so I ended up writing another letter. Hopefully you won’t think too badly of me for it. I’ll just warn you up front, this is going to be sappy as shit._

_Ever since I stayed the night with you, I’ve been wanting to be with you every night. Longing to hold you in my arms and watch you drift off to a peaceful sleep. Wanting to be there to comfort you when you had any nightmares. Wanting to see you wake up with that cute half-asleep look on your face._ He thought he looked like an angry beast when he first woke up, but it was nice that Gabriel at least appreciated it.

_Every morning I wake up disappointed that you aren’t there with me. I’ve never felt this way before, Jack. Every time I see you, I feel so content. I was so miserable before, but when I’m with you, I think that things might not be that bad. I’ve had crushes before, but this is so much deeper than that. You’re something special. Your laugh, your goofy jokes, your smile that makes me feel warm every time I see it, your soft skin, those blue eyes I’m so addicted to, everything about you makes me happy. I don’t even feel lonely anymore, because I have you._

_I know you don’t want me in the way I want you. I’m so lucky that you want to be a close friend, though, and I’m happy to be that for you. I just wanted to tell you this because not being able to sleep was getting kind of annoying._

_Have a nice day._

_\- Gabriel_

His cheeks burned red. That same feeling he had experienced from the first letter, the one of his heart pounding in his chest and a flush going through his entire body, was reproduced by this one. That man sure as hell knew how to flatter someone. If he was honest, these were things he'd never expect to be said about him.

Jack had been in turmoil since reading that letter. Gabriel wanted to be with him. There was no doubt about that. And he had strong feelings for Gabriel as well. Maybe a relationship between them was worth the risk. Maybe they could have something truly special. Not only that, but was it also hurting Gabriel that he thought Jack didn’t feel the same way? Damn it, what a lose-lose situation. But that stubborn little bit of optimism in him that always seemed to get in his way kept telling him that being with Gabriel would make him so happy, and there was always the chance it could work.

No. He couldn’t tell him yet. Maybe someday.

As Jack walked into the forest that night, his stomach was tight with nervousness, but he had come to a certain decision: he wouldn’t tell Gabriel. Not yet. There was too much at stake. Jack saw Gabriel sitting in one of the chairs in their usual clearing. He took a deep breath, visible from the condensation on the cold winter night. Even through his jacket, he felt a bit of a chill. Wasn’t it supposed to be warm here? Well, maybe it was his own fault for going out at night all the time, but that wouldn’t stop him. No matter what his useless old body said.

Gabriel seemed to perk up when he saw Jack, even though Jack could tell he was nervous as well by the way he tapped his foot on the ground. One of the emotional signs Jack had learned to read. Come to think of it, spending time with Gabriel had been good practice for his emotional intelligence. He felt like he could read people a thousand times better than he used to be able to. Of course, 0 multiplied by 1000 is still 0, but…

This train of thought was interrupted as Jack startled himself by stepping on a twig. Damn it, why was he so nervous? He wasn’t even going to tell. _Just reign that shit in, Jack. You can do it._

“A little jumpy?” Gabriel said with a chuckle. “Not scared of forest monsters, but scared of sticks. I’ll keep that in mind.” _God damn it, stop being funny when I’m trying not to want to kiss you._ Once he looked Jack over for a moment, he said, “You look like you’re freezing. Do you have a thicker coat you can wear?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me,” Jack grunted. He noticed himself shivering as a chilly breeze blew by, feeling like it was entering his bones.

“Oh, shut up,” Gabriel said, and Jack was sure he’d be rolling his eyes right now if he had a normal face. He got up from his chair and walked towards Jack. “You don’t even have it zipped up all the way.” Gabriel started to fiddle with the zipper of Jack’s coat, bringing it up to near his chin. It felt like he was wearing a parka, but at least it was warmer.

At that moment, he became acutely aware of how close Gabriel’s face was, and couldn’t help a blush forming on his cheeks. Hopefully Gabriel didn’t notice that. He wasn’t sure how he wouldn’t, though, because his face was directed straight towards Jack’s, and Jack was positive Gabriel was looking directly at him.

You know what? Fuck it.

“Gabriel, could you do me a favor? Could you change to your human face for a minute?” Jack said, flushing a bit more.

Gabriel seemed to snap out of a trance for a moment. “Uh, sure.” He changed his face to that human form, and Jack couldn’t stop himself from staring into those sweet brown eyes. “Why, though?”

“So I can do this.” Jack grabbed the back of Gabriel’s head and shoved his lips against his. Gabriel seemed caught off guard for a moment, but almost instantly reciprocated, opening his mouth to allow Jack’s tongue inside. Gabriel worked his hands down Jack’s sides as Jack tried to explore every part of Gabriel’s mouth, taking in every bit of him that he could get to. God, he just wanted to feel everything he could. Gabriel seemed to be thinking the same thing, as his tongue moved with equal speed, and Jack let out an involuntary moan.

Jack had his arms wrapped around Gabriel’s back while Gabriel put his hands on Jack’s waist, the two of them holding each other as close as possible. How the hell had he resisted this for so long? Pressed up against Gabriel, he felt how warm his body was, even though he wasn’t sure he had typical human blood flow. Against the chill of the night, he felt like his little piece of comfort.

Not wanting to tire Gabriel out with this form, Jack eventually let go, trying to catch his breath. Even though he never wanted that to end, it was more important to him to keep Gabriel from exhausting himself too much. If he collapsed on the ground, that would be a really piss-poor way to end that magical moment.

Seemingly understanding why Jack let go, Gabriel returned his face to his shadowy form. Even though Jack would miss those eyes, he was pretty no matter what form he was in. At least, that’s how he felt about it.

They held each other for a long while on that cold winter night, and it might have been the happiest moment of Jack’s life thus far.

\--

The next day, Jack heard a knock on his door. With the time it took for him to reach it, he became acutely aware of how big his house was for a single person. The kind of house designed for a family. Was this the kind of sappy shit you thought about once you started being romantic with someone? Jack tried to recall if he felt that way with any past boyfriends, but it had been so long that he didn’t even remember.

When he opened the door, he saw Gabriel. Unlike last time he visited, he was in his human-shaped form. Jack was really starting to aesthetically appreciate the shapes of his body. Maybe being sexually attracted to a bunch of squares and ovals was weird, but he couldn’t stop himself. Gabriel just made it work. It was something that only he could pull off. Okay, it was _definitely_ weird.

“Hey,” Jack said, leaning on the doorframe. “What brings you here, cutie?” That’s how you flirt, right? Oh god, he was so out of practice. Not that he was ever any good at it anyway.

“I wanted to ask you something,” Gabriel responded, and Jack noticed him tapping his foot again.

“Oh. Come on in.” Jack directed him inside, and realized the last time Gabriel had been inside his house was when they stayed the night together. In fact, it looked exactly the same. He hadn’t done any remodeling, and barely had made much of an effort to make the house of his own. Since moving in, he'd unpacked his boxes and added enough furniture for him and any guests to have something to sit on, but not added any real decorations except for a few pictures. Really, Gabriel was the only person he thought wouldn’t find him boring for things like this.

Gabriel sat on the couch on the ground floor, and Jack with him. Gabriel had his hands cupped together. Another sign of nervousness. Wow, he really was getting half-decent at this. “So…” He started, “Are we a thing now? Like, dating and shit? I just want to be sure.”

Jack looked at him, a bit bewildered. “Well...yeah. Thought that went without saying. Wouldn’t have kissed you if we weren’t.” Were you supposed to tell people that?

“Oh.” He saw Gabriel perk up a bit, then move closer to Jack until their faces were nearly touching. “Because I just noticed you staring at me like a horny teenager,” he teased. Jack was already blushing, and Gabriel seemed to notice, because he held onto Jack’s hips. Emboldened, Jack grabbed Gabriel’s sides and started to move rhythmically, grinding against him. Now it was Gabriel’s turn to be embarrassed, as Jack recognized by the way his breath hitched. Did they still have set boundaries at this stage of the relationship?

Jack got a decisive answer to that question when Gabriel started slowly grinding on him as well. Holy fuck. Jack flushed, and noticed a bulge forming in his pants. Evidently, Gabriel noticed as well, because he lightly stroked it through Jack’s clothes. Jack froze for a moment, but knew he had to take charge here. No freezing up. He wanted this, needed it, had been fantasizing about it so much. He kissed Gabriel’s cheek. “I want you so bad,” he said, surprised at how sultry his own voice came out. Hell yeah, he could still be smooth.

“Well…” Gabriel started, seeming nervous again as he trailed off for a moment. “If you’re ready, there’s a way we can have sex.” Jack’s curiosity (and something else, if he was honest) was instantly piqued. “Do you trust me?”

“With my life,” Jack responded without hesitation.

“Good to know.” Gabriel said with a low chuckle, one that already felt a bit erotic. Jack was already hard from grinding on him, and he wished there was a way to tell Gabriel’s arousal so easily. Jack held Gabriel's hand and guided him to the stairs. The two climbed them for what felt like eons too long, then finally reached Jack’s room, standing near his bed. “OK. You ready?” Jack nodded, anticipation mounting. How would they do this?

Jack got a bit closer to an answer when a smoky extension popped out of the area where Gabriel’s dick would be. Jack grinned. This was going to be fun.

As the two moved to Jack’s bed, Jack laid down, with Gabriel standing over him. Without much warning, Gabriel started feeling at Jack's pants, making it very clear who would be in charge. “I know this thing looks a little weird, but it works mostly like a regular dick.” He looked away for a moment. “You aren’t scared, are you?” Gabriel asked, sounding genuinely concerned rather than mocking.

Jack shook his head. “I wanna see how it works.”

Gabriel chuckled again. “Be patient.” Gabriel unbuttoned Jack’s pants, then quickly lowered them and removed them from his body entirely. Damn, he was just as eager as Jack was. Before Jack could say anything, Gabriel started rubbing at his erection through his underwear, and Jack had to restrain himself from thrusting into it. Evidently, it didn’t work _exactly_ like a regular dick, because he used the extension -- which was surprisingly solid -- to grip the waistband of Jack’s underwear and remove them, leaving Jack aching in anticipation for what was coming next.

“It's soft enough that it shouldn't need any lube, but if it hurts or you get scared, just shake your head and I'll stop. Want you to enjoy this, too,” Gabriel said, concern in his tone. What a god damn sweetheart.

“Got it. Let’s get on with it,” Jack said.

Gabriel laughed a bit. “You really are impatient. If you insist, though…” Suddenly, Gabriel lowered himself until his face was nearly touching Jack’s. The smoky extension started to close the space between it and his hole; as it rubbed against his thigh, he noted that it didn’t feel quite like a regular dick, but wasn’t uncomfortable. The texture was a lot like the rest of Gabriel’s skin, if a bit softer. The way it moved was different, though, as Gabriel seemed to have direct control of it, like another arm. He wondered how the hell he maneuvered that thing. Some things he’d never understand, he supposed.

“Just try to stay loose for a minute,” Gabriel said, voice patient. He was going so tantalizingly slow. Finally, the extension moved inside of his hole, and Jack involuntarily tensed around it. Jesus fucking Christ. It worked a steady pace up to his prostate. With the way it was more controlled than a regular dick, they could get right to the good part. It hurt less, too. Jack moaned and started breathing hard, as intense pleasure surged through him like a shock wave.

Although Jack wasn’t sure how the feeling of this worked for Gabriel, he was evidently getting pleasure out of this as well, as he grunted when Jack tightened around the extension of smoke, and he felt it tremble a bit. He saw sweat dripping down Gabriel’s forehead, and made a mental note that Gabriel could still sweat in this form.

Of course, it was hard to focus on anything of that sort as the smoke trail rubbed directly against his prostate again, causing Jack to desperately grip the sides of the bed and let out a little whine. “That was so cute,” Gabriel said, a bit teasingly. “Your little noises are music to my ears.” Gabriel wouldn’t let up, though; he kept moving it across the sensitive nerves, deliberately moving as slow as possible, just enough to keep Jack on the edge of losing himself completely. Jack’s ass clenched, and Gabriel moaned. Damn, he was frustratingly good at this. Must have been a real stud when he was younger. He sure as hell was hot enough.

“God, you’re so beautiful.” Gabriel crooned, leaning over Jack and delicately working his hand down Jack’s side. “You’re making me so happy right now. I hope you feel just as good as I do.” Gabriel said, just above a whisper. Jack nodded, trying not to seem too desperate (and failing). Gabriel hummed, in a way that sounded entirely too satisfied with himself.

At this point, Jack’s cock was leaking and begging for attention. “So precious and sweet. Sexy as all fucking hell, too,” Gabriel said. Then, he directed his attention towards Jack’s cock, and wrapped his hand around it. He stroked upwards at a similar speed to the trail still rubbing against the muscles inside Jack’s ass. Jack squeaked a bit as Gabriel increased in speed.

Gabriel was gritting his teeth as his speed on both Jack’s prostate and his cock increased, muttering curses under his breath and occasionally letting out moans that felt like pure sex. He wrapped his hands around Jack’s waist and pressed with more pressure on the inside of Jack’s ass, causing Jack to cry out.

“Fuck, Jack, you’re so hot...I love you so much.” Gabriel grunted between his words. “I’m close.” Jack was, too, and he felt like his cock was going to burst feeling the soft touch of Gabriel’s hands on his entire body, as he worked his hands upward and started rubbing along his torso, with one of them gripping his nipple and stroking it with just the right amount of pressure. He really did understand what Jack liked.

Gabriel let out a near-yelling moan and Jack felt warmth surge inside of his ass, which set him off too; he shouted Gabriel’s name and came, holding onto Gabriel’s back the whole time. As he felt Gabriel’s cum running down his leg (and now knew that Gabriel could produce and release it at all, which had some...potential future applications), Jack smiled, afterglow already working its magic on him. The extension slid back into Gabriel’s body and was gone, as if it had never been there at all, and this had all been a (very erotic) fantasy.

Gabriel laughed. “You look so goofy right now.” Rude. He slid onto the bed next to Jack. “Cute as fuck, though.” Jack cuddled closer to him, and Gabriel put the blanket over both of them. Even though it was the middle of the day, completely fucked out and in the comfort of Gabriel’s warm embrace, he drifted off to sleep.

No nightmares this time, either.

\--

A few nights later, Jack had something weighing on his mind as he went to visit Gabriel. This was the coldest time of the year, and some frost from the morning’s freeze lingered on some of the plants in the forest that hadn’t yet wilted. All of the past few days, he had been thinking about Gabriel out in this cold. Could he even feel cold? If he could, he was probably freezing, having to sleep exposed to the elements all the time. Even the thought made Jack frown. Did that mean he had to endure this every single year?

He nearly walked into a tree as he neared their normal clearing. Right, had to stop getting so distracted by his own thoughts. The light but cold wind blew and he felt as if it penetrated his jacket. Damn it, he was too old for these kinds of temperatures. Even though they’d probably only last a few more weeks, his aged joints would probably get sore in this weather, which would be so annoying. It would make him grumpy as hell.

Gabriel was already there, and his smoke drifted towards Jack until he made a solid form, developing nearly right next to Jack. He held onto Jack’s sides and touched their foreheads together, which was quickly becoming their way of greeting each other with a kiss. Sometimes you have to be inventive. “Hey handsome. How’s it going?” God, it was so nice that he and Gabriel could be affectionate like this all the time. After looking Jack up and down, he laughed. The way his booming laugh felt like it enveloped the entire area was one of Jack's favorite things about him. “You look like you belong in the Arctic. Looks like you took my advice to heart.”

Maybe wearing gloves and earmuffs was a bit over-the-top, but he’d be damned if he was going to expose himself to the elements again. “Some of us feel cold, you know,” he said, pouting a bit.

“I feel it too, actually.” That statement filled Jack with concern. So he was exposed to it.

“Aren’t you cold out here, then?” Jack said, making the worry in his voice very clear.

Gabriel made a shrugging motion in his shoulder area. “Eh, I’m used to it.”

Oh, fuck it. He would just ask. No point in holding back, and he was too old for games. “Gabriel, I don’t like you being exposed to the cold all the time. You could get sick. You should come live with me.”

Gabriel stopped for a moment (a dad joke could be made out of him ‘freezing up’, but he kept it to himself) at that suggestion. “You sure? Don’t want to be a burden.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Gabriel, I’m not going to let my boyfriend stay out in the freezing ass cold. Come home with me.”

“Don’t Dad me,” Gabriel said, feigning annoyance. He paused for a moment. “I like your house, though. I’ll come with you if you make me some hot chocolate when we get there.”

The prospect of not sleeping alone anymore made Jack feel so happy that he didn’t even think about how Gabriel could’ve made his own damn chocolate.

“Sounds like a plan. Let’s get the hell out of here before I turn into an icicle.” Jack grabbed onto Gabriel’s hand, who stared at their hands together for a moment, then wrapped his fingers with Jack’s. Jack smiled at him and kissed his cheek, which made Gabriel let out a schoolgirl-like giggle. So fucking cute. Having this forest creature be so giddy with him, like a teenager in love, didn’t even feel surreal to him anymore. Gabriel wasn’t different than any other person in his eyes. He looked a bit different (and fucked a bit better), but inside he was the same. In fact, he was actually a lot better than most humans he’d met.

The two of them walked through the forest together, returning to what would be their new home. Even walking through the forest that was still and nearly lifeless at this time of year, Jack got the feeling that his own life was just starting.


	5. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is much shorter than the other chapters, but i just wanted to make sure everything was resolved. so here you go!

Jack didn’t realize just how much less lonely he would be just from waking up with someone next to him. 

With _Gabriel_ next to him.

So many opportunities were presented to him by having Gabriel live with him. He could show Gabriel his video games (maybe he’d let him win someday). They could hold each other somewhere other than the cold-ass forest ground. Gabriel could help him decorate, because he discovered quickly that he was absolutely clueless about it. Oh, and they could have _great_ sex. 

Jack had never wanted to admit to himself how much he craved this domestic life. How much he had always wanted a house together with another man. And now he had it. No, it wasn’t exactly what he’d expected, but the end result was the same. Unfortunately, he couldn’t really go out anywhere with Gabriel other than the forest. 

“You could wear your human face for even a few minutes. I’m fine just being here, but maybe you want to explore the world a little bit,” Jack had tried to suggest.

Gabriel had shaken his head and said, “They’ll know by the odd shapes that I’m a monster” -- he hated when Gabriel called himself that -- “and the only monster around here is the one that killed those people. It’s not safe, Jack.” 

And that was that. Jack wasn’t going to try to pressure him. Even though he wouldn’t say it out loud, Jack had always sensed that Gabriel missed having a life in the outside world. Frequently, Gabriel had mentioned places he wanted to go, with a little bit of a wistful tone in his voice, both of them knowing that he could never go there. 

Jack had tried to search this program, see if he could find a cure. He spent hours working on it, staying up at night searching for articles using his military clearance, but whatever this program was, it had been almost wiped off the map. He found vague mentions of it in other documents, but eventually, he reached a dead end when his clearance wasn’t high enough to access any of the documents that might be of any help.

When Gabriel found out about it, he had told Jack that there was no hope for a cure. “The program is gone, and the research with it.”

“Maybe we can get them sent to jail somehow, then. Just want to get justice for you, Gabriel.” Jack had seen his superiors make decisions that were...questionable morally, but this kind of atrocity was something he’d never seen happen. He thought it couldn’t happen in their modern world. Clearly he was naive. Well, that was never really a question.

“Jack, please don’t start looking for revenge.” Gabriel had said, voice serious. “Revenge will consume you and make you into a monster. Take it from a guy who knows. I don’t ever want someone like you to be where I was.”

After that, Gabriel had asked him to stop. Although he said it was just because he was wasting his time, Jack suspected that bringing up this trauma was hurting him. So, for once in his god damn life, Jack made the sensitive decision and let the problem rest.

Jack and Gabriel found satisfaction in their lives, so much simpler than they used to be. Really, it was a lot like their time in the forest, but in a place more hospitable. Although Jack wished he could take Gabriel on real dates, show him around town (even though the town was kind of boring), they made their own little ones by going into places in the forest, which was really still their second home. Camping out, watching the animals when spring came on and they actually came out, Gabriel laughing at that tree that looked like a dick for the 1000th time. It was familiar, traditional, but not in a bad way. Action was overrated, as far as Jack was concerned.

As time went on, Jack even felt himself recovering from his PTSD. Therapy helped, when he finally got off his ass and started going for a while (and only with increasingly aggressive prodding from Gabriel). The way his life was so much quieter now provided him with a better space to recover, and the therapist said it was good for him to spend his days in a calm environment, away from crowds. It was a shame he couldn’t tell him how Gabriel really was, instead of just making vague mentions of ‘my boyfriend’.

At the moment, Jack was laying on the couch with Gabriel, with Gabriel running his finger-like shapes through Jack’s hair while he was dozing off. The warm spring sunlight was so good for relaxing, and he loved laying by the window and soaking it in. Ugh, he was sleeping so much. Gabriel said he was like a cat, but he felt more like an ancient man. “You’re starting to lose your hair,” Gabriel teased.

“Mmm. Don’t remind me.” He was too tired to come up with any other response.

Gabriel laughed. “That’s your best comeback? You really are tired.” Jack stuck his tongue out at him.

As he drifted off to sleep in Gabriel’s arms, grateful for soft moments of comfort like this, he thanked his lucky stars that he had moved to this old town.

Now if only those brats down the street would move away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had so much fun writing this. thanks for every kudos and comment you guys give, it means a ton to me! :D

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first AU fic ever, actually. Thanks for reading! :D


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